Fire window plunge student still 'critical but stable'

Petra Silfverskiold

A student who fell from a four-storey Sunderland University block during a fire is still fighting for his life three days on.

The 20-year-old man, who plunged from a top-floor window at Clanny House, off Hylton Road, on Sunday evening is being treated in hospital, where his condition remains 'critical but stable', according to police.

Residents of the student accommodation spoke of their shock in the wake of the incident, at the block in Peacock Street, just after 10.30pm.

A group of students previously told the Echo they were evacuated from Block 9, of the property, off Hylton Road, and were only allowed back at 2am to collect essential belongings, before being moved to another block on site.

They said they saw two fire engines, three ambulances and two police cars at the scene and that the fire did not spread beyond the injured student's bedroom.

"We are just shocked really," a female student said. "We live in the same block where the fire was. I don't know him personally, but I've seen him around. He seemed to keep himself to himself.

"We thought it was just another fire drill, but then we knew something was going off.

Clanny House, off Hylton Road, Sunderland, where a student fell from a window during a fire.

"We still don't really know what happened and we are waiting to hear of we have to give statements to the police.

"They were here for a good few hours, until 2am, when we were finally allowed back inside to collect some essentials.

"Then we got moved to a different block, for our safety as well."

A spokesperson for the University of Sunderland said after the incident: “We can confirm that there was a fire confined to one bedroom at Clanny House last night and that a student is in hospital.

"We are doing all we can to support the student’s family and any residents or staff affected by the incident.